We’re Expecting Baby Number 2 + Morning Sickness Remedies

Hello everyone,

So I know I have been super quiet on my blog recently but I’m sure you can guess from the title why that is! Yes, we are expecting our second baby…Can you believe it!?

As you all know, we married in May this year and were so lucky to conceive so quickly on our second baby. I am currently almost 14 weeks pregnant and thrilled that I was finally able to share our news with you all.

How we found out –

Taking things right back to June, we found out very early on that I was pregnant. My husband Paul as the one who told me I should do a test as he “just knew” I was pregnant – probably from the extra hormonal nagging and the fact I had gone off my beloved glass of wine in the evening. We did two tests and both came up positive.. I couldn’t believe it. I knew just how lucky we were to see those two blue lines and sobbed with happiness for the rest of the evening.

Pregnancy Symptoms –

My pregnancy symptoms began very early on. Around week 6/7 I began to feel nauseous and started to vomit most days. What hit me hardest this time around was the exhaustion. I’m not sure if thats down to the fact that I already have a crazy toddler to entertain or not but my energy levels so far have been on the floor. I have broken sleep most nights, nap for 2/3 hours a day and still feel like I’m ready to climb into bed at 8pm. I didn’t have that on Harry but I was also 4 years younger at the age of 24 so that might have helped my energy levels back then!

Another thing that is new to me is the headaches. I know pregnancy headaches are very common but they were, again, something I didn’t experience the first time. The most frustrating part is not being able to take anything for them, and even trying to keep water down is difficult. I am hoping they ease off in the coming weeks.

Let’s talk about smells….Oh My GOD I can’t cope with the smell of food! I am currently sat on our bed in our bedroom with the door closed and windows wide open because my husband is downstairs cooking dinner for himself and Harry. This happens every evening. I am banished upstairs until the smell of cooking is gone from the house. He accidentally cooked the strongest smelling cod last week and I felt like it was liable grounds for divorce…no joke!! Anyone else super sensitive to smells? I have a strong sense of smell on a normal day but in pregnancy everything sets me off and makes me want to throw up. Another trigger is brushing my teeth. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thrown up my breakfast just because I brushed my teeth after….GLAM, I know!

When I had my blood work done at our latest hospital visit, I was low in iron, which is not uncommon for me. I have always suffered with my iron and b12 levels but after speaking with the hospital dietician she told me not to worry too much and gave me some tips on how to keep my food down and get as many nutrients in as possible. My weight has dropped in the last three months but again, this happened on Harry and is not uncommon with anyone who is suffering from morning sickness and vomiting. I thought Harry would be a tiny baby as I was very small but he was 9lbs when born so I am not worrying about that this time around. If you have any concerns I suggest contacting your midwife or GP straight away, just to be on the safe side.

My Mental Health –

If you are following a long time you will know that I suffer with my mental health and have done for a long time. On my pregnancy with Harry I saw a massive dip in my moods and the health of my mind. I had originally put this down to circumstances of the pregnancy – I was young, myself and Paul were not together all that long, I was living at home and my Mum was going through intense chemotherapy for breast cancer at the time. I figured all of those factors made my pregnancy not the most enjoyable experience in terms of my mental health. I saw the mental health midwives throughout the pregnancy and went back on my medication once Harry was born.

This time around, I knew I had to come off my anxiety medication if we wanted to try for a baby so I came off them before our wedding this year (probably not the best time to do it, but growing our family was something we were really excited about!) I fell pregnant almost instantly and immediately felt my mental health take a dive. The extra hormones and the fact that my body was adjusting to being off medication that it had relied on for years took its toll. I hit a very big low and decided it was time to seek professional help, so that I got to enjoy this pregnancy as much as I could, and be in the healthiest mind frame possible for when our new baby arrives in March 2019. I have been seeing a therapist and really putting a lot more time and energy into minding my head. I take more time offline, I began reflexology, I read more, I meditate regularly and just try my best to get my mind into a good, healthy space. It’s not been easy and I have good days and bad days but if I keep working on it, I’m sure the good days will become more frequent. Self care is up there at the top of my priority list at the moment, for me and for our new baby.

Morning Sickness Tips –

I had so many of you share some tips to help me with morning sickness that I thought it was only right to pass them on in the hopes it helps someone else –

try to eat every hour, even if its just a dry cracker. Leaving it too long can cause more nausea

sipping 7up or any fuzzy drink if you can’t manage water

hot water with ginger and lemon

ginger biscuits or ginger cake

basically ANYTHING with ginger!!

leaving a small snack beside the bed and eating it if you wake during the night or first thing in the morning

plain toast

sucking on hard boiled sweets throughout the day

sea sickness bands from the pharmacy are meant to help too

If you’re expecting then CONGRATULATIONS and I hope you’re enjoying your pregnancy so far.

If you’d like me to keep up with the pregnancy updates let me know. If not, I will get back to fashion and beauty posts as soon as my energy makes an appearance again!